Robert Woods, the Steelers' oldest WR, emulates Hines Ward's old-school physicality

New York Times

4 days ago

PITTSBURGH — More than 30 minutes after practice ended at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Thursday, well after the majority of players left the field, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Robert Woods stood alone near the end zone.
Woods exploded out of his stance, delivering a blow to a tackling dummy before darting upfield. Rep after rep, this continued, as the veteran honed his releases off the line of scrimmage.
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'It's very important for young guys and old guys to always take the opportunity to work your craft, get in extra work,' Woods said. 'We only get a few hours out here to really work on our craft.'
At 33 and entering his 13th NFL season, Woods fits squarely into that second category.
His NFL journey began when the Buffalo Bills selected him in the second round of the 2013 draft. Over a career that has spanned 171 games and included 683 catches and 38 touchdowns, Woods has enjoyed many of the highs the game has to offer. A pair of 1,000-yard seasons. A Super Bowl ring.
Now on his fifth NFL team, Woods is looking to provide a veteran's savvy, a voice of leadership and a physical presence to a receiver room that needs quality depth to emerge this spring.
'I'm trying to get better,' Woods said. 'Maybe (younger guys) see the same thing. We are trying to teach, if one guy is getting better, the whole team is getting better. Keep elevating your game, and it elevates the team.'
While Woods' work ethic after practice stood out, it's the way he competes between the whistles that he hopes gets the attention of coaches and teammates. Throughout the 10-minute conversation, the word 'physicality' was thrown out often.
That attribute has been one of Woods' strengths since he began playing football. Through high school, Woods starred on the defensive side of the ball. During his freshman year at USC, he played nickel cornerback and wide receiver during practices before focusing his attention on offense. He's continued to maintain the mentality of a defender as he's built his NFL career.
'Finally getting a chance to run with the football and being physical that way, I always wanted to deliver the blow and not be the one receiving it,' Woods said.
Woods said he's always watched the Steelers from afar and, in some ways, modeled his game after Hines Ward. Wearing No. 16, he joked that he has one half of Ward's old No. 86 jersey. The oldest receiver on the roster is trying to instill that old-school mentality in his entire room.
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'Hines was getting involved in the blocking,' Woods said. 'But when you really watch him going across the middle, making big catches, taking hits, just being a physical receiver, running with the football, fighting for extra yards, I think that's the mentality, that's the mindset of the team (we're) trying to get back to in the receiver room.'
That identity fits what the Steelers are about, both past and present. This offseason, coach Mike Tomlin said the team made it a priority to 'retool physicality in all areas.' Under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the Steelers also often use their receivers in the run game to create lanes for ball carriers.
To Woods, there's a difference between talking about being physical and showing it.
'I think a lot of guys are fake tough guys,' he said with a smile. 'When you get hit, you kind of really see who's really tough.
'Just being able to deliver the blow every single time. Obviously, you get a guy on the sideline, you hit him once, (he) might come in a little different the next time, and that's when you're able to fight for those extra yards and get those first downs. And it's a long game, and guys don't want to be hit for four quarters, and you see that. And I think if you have a whole team who is delivering the blow every single play, I think you'll see teams start turning down.'
Woods has been a precise route runner, sure-handed receiver and willing blocker throughout his career, but the question is: How much does he have left as he approaches his mid-30s? An accomplished sprinter in high school who ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the 2013 combine, Woods is confident he still has the wheels to be a difference-maker. However, he's coming off his least productive season after catching 20 passes for 203 yards and no touchdowns last year in Houston.
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The Steelers will need Woods — or another receiver — to step up and seize the opportunity. After GM Omar Khan dealt George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, the wide receiver room again features an upper-echelon No. 1 in DK Metcalf and plenty of opportunity behind him for someone to emerge as the next threat.
The best way for Woods to capitalize on the opportunity? Keep working.
'I'm just coming in here and working,' Woods said. 'Obviously, there's one ball, and I'm trying to be open every time, and hopefully that ball finds me. But we are just going out here and working, putting good stuff on tape, hoping the coaches see that and see myself open on film, and say, 'This is a guy we could get the ball.''